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Survey study, 2016

Is depression linked to PMS in college women?

Yes. Women with higher depression levels tend to have more severe PMS. This is observational, so depression may not cause the PMS.

Early or limited evidence 245 female college students in Korea (mean age 21.04 years)

What they did

Cross-sectional study of 245 college women in Korea (270 surveyed, 25 with incomplete responses excluded). Data collected from September to December 2015. Participants completed questionnaires measuring PMS and depression levels.

What they found

Mean age was 21.04 years. Average PMS score was 28.75 points and average depression score was 16.69 points. There were positive associations between PMS and depression, emotional disturbance, water retention, and pain. Depression and how much women perceived they had PMS were main factors linked to actual PMS severity. The model explained 22.9% of PMS variation.

What it means for you

Mental health appears connected to PMS in young women. Treating depression might help reduce PMS. However, this observational study cannot prove depression causes PMS, and results apply only to Korean college students.

245

Women studied

28.75

Average PMS score

22.9%

Model variance explained

About the study

Original title
The Relationship between Premenstrual Syndrome and Depression of Female College Students in Korea
Authors
Jung-Hyun Choi
Journal
Indian Journal of Science and Technology
Year
2016
Study design
Survey study
Participants
25
What was tested
None
Open access
Yes
Original abstract

Background/Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that influence Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) of female college students in Korea. Methods/Statistical analysis: This research is a descriptive correlation study designed to examine the factor influencing premenstrual female college students. The data was collected from September till December 2015. The data was collected via structural questionnaires gathered by 270students who agreed to participate in this study, and 245 of them were analyzed except for 25 incomplete questionnaires and male nurses. Descriptive statistics for all study variables as well as the reliability assessment of the study instruments were computed. To analyze the correlation in the independent and dependent variables, correlation analysis was used. Findings: The mean age of the participants was 21.04years. The level of PMS is 28.75±9.92 point and the level of depression is 16.69±10.41 point. PMS includes 3 subscales. The level of emotional disturbance is 2.97±1.28 point, and the level of water retention was 2.30± 1.25. The level of pain was 3.32± 1.05. There were positive correlations among PMS, depression, emotional disturbance, water retention, and pain. But there was not a statistically significant correlation between PMS and body weight. In multiple regression depression (t=6.691, p<.001) and perception of PMS (t=2.052, p=.042) were found to be factors significantly associated with PMS. The model explained 22.9% of the variables. Improvements/Applications: This study found that PMS is influenced by the psychological factors such as depression. Therefore, the education program including PMS and depression is needed to promote health for female university students. Keywords: College Students, Depression, Female, Korea, Premenstrual Syndrome

Reproduced under CC-BY.

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